Cape Grysbok (Raphicerus melanotis)

Overview
The Cape grysbok is a small, shy antelope native to South Africa’s Western and Eastern Cape, especially within the Fynbos biome. Standing about 54 cm tall and weighing around 10 kg, it has a compact build and a coarse reddish coat flecked with white. Only males have short, upright horns measuring 6–8 cm.

Primarily a browser, the Cape grysbok feeds on grasses, fruits, and shrubs, and can survive without open water by extracting moisture from food. It is mostly nocturnal, resting during the day and feeding at night.

This solitary species gives birth to a single lamb after a 7-month gestation. Lambs are born year-round, with a spring peak, and mature between 18 and 24 months.

Endemic to the southern tip of Africa, the Cape grysbok is similar in appearance to Sharpe’s grysbok but is confined to more southern habitats.